This is also on my picturetrail site.
A couple years ago - PH (pre- Himmie :B) my friends were talking about problems with displaying thier Himmies and wanting ways to do it without stands for them all. We worked on girdles and I made soem and sent them to my friend. I recall her saying they helped but I don;t know how effective they were long term. Now that Kida is here ( YAY WOO_HOO YIPEEE!!!!!) *ahem* I have been working on the problem myself.
Being me, I took pics of course . Hope you enjoy!
QZ :)

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Pictorial on Picturetrail


Making the girdle

I used a semi-heavy knit and chopsticks :) A successful girdle can be made by simply sewing a very tight knit skirt that slides up from thigh to waist. I have done this kind for a friend as well as this kind with a sleeve on each side for a chopstick to be put in- but I wanted something sturdier since that kind was meant for display only dolls and our Kida will be outside modeling :) 1- the chopsticks- we ended up using 6 2- cutting out the basic shorts. I cute out two sets to make them double thickness- so I would have room for the channels and batting. 3- sewing the batting at the edge of the shorts- the betting is to help pad the end of the chopsticks so they do not poke into her legs. 4- folding the shorts back over so the batting is inside .




rolling the hem

5- after putting the shorts right side out then the edge is pulled up and sewn to give the chopstick a little bit of lip to hold it against the batting instead of just against the knit fabric. 6- shows how the chopstick slides down to rest against the padded lip 7- all the channels sewn 8- how it looks with the chopsticks inside.





*really important*

Ask me how I know :B 9- After sewing them together at the side and crotch turn them right side out BEFORE you sew the chopsticks in or you will be doing some of this.... 10-Sew along the top to enclose the chopsticks. This shows them inserted chopstick pulled down and held so the sewing foot can pass along. 11- Pulling past the feet 12- at the thighs





Finis'

As the first pair of this style I am not unhappy with them at all :) I might put some elastic at the back to hold it in a little, but it works pretty well under clothing. A little bulk but not too much. I think on the larger girls it would not show at all. I might try using slightly shorter chopsticks.




Posing

Here she is outside. Not leaning on anything at all and there was some wind too! She can hold her arms in several positions and seemed to be quite steady :)





Dressed

Here she is with my dd My Twinn. She is wearing a dress my mother made for one of my childhood walkers. I had a matching dress :)






Kida and Pixie

Oh my WORD!!
What a fantastc invention!!! You are so clever!! She lloks very stable - it's amazing how it helps her stand up unaided - that's why their feet are so broad!!
Your Kida is so gorgeous!
Hugs
Becky xxx

This is wonderful QZ and your step-by-step photos are a delight I'll have to have a go at this, but I can tell you now that my effort will not be anywhere as neat as yours. Ah well, at least it is designed to be hidden so that's OK

Brilliant idea, do you sell them ?

Wow,! i'll need to make one for Mririda! While I had even tried buying a stand for her, she couldnt even stand straight in the stand, her legs would just slip out from under her she'd get so floppy sometimes, what an excellent idea!

woo hoo...super invention.

I loved the Sutter kids how they were super stuffed and stood on their own. Some of my heath dolls were standers and were bound up similar to this in order to get them to stand unaided.

very cool how you did this.!

Hugs

Elisabeth

WOW!!What a wonderful idea!!!!You need to market these things!!
Hey,Elisabeth,maybe we could have a con-*test*-('") to NAME them??LOL

I had not thought about marketing them. :)
I think it would be easier to make two pairs of semi tight shorts- long legish- sew them together with the channels and then insert the sticks and sew the top closed. I think I made it way too cvomplicated- shorts are easy just by themselves. The fun part is getting material that will not show so much- BUT they could be made with a nice thick white material and with lace and ribbons could pass for firm bloomers :B
QZ